The present invention relates to portable readers and, more particularly, to portable readers for reading modules of the mini-card format as defined in appendix A of the ETSI/GSM 11.11 standard in its version 5.3.0 of July 1996.
Such modules are essentially used in mobile telephony to identify their holder for a company that manages a telecommunications network of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile Communications). However, these modules are additionally adapted to carry out many other functions. More specifically, in recent developments, these modules include applications programs, in particular written in high level computer languages, which allow them, within the frame of a communication network connection, to ensure electronic transactions, the execution of games, or even the implementation of messaging functions. Of course, due to the small memory capacities and processing speed of such modules, these programs are limited in memory size and execution speed. However, these modules are made secure, portable and at low cost, and therefore are of a great value.
It is known that the security of complex computer systems is not straightforward to implement. When a computer of the personal computer type is connected to a computer network, it is possible for a third party who would have sneaked into this network, to fraudulently access confidential data stored within said computer and, although different solutions have actually been envisioned for protecting such data, none of them is entirely satisfactory.
In addition, it is known that users of computer systems of the above-mentioned kind have an increasing amount of personal confidential information to memorize and manage. For example, it may be passwords identifying them personally. Quite often, these passwords are changed periodically and it becomes difficult for an individual user to keep in a secure place a large amount of personal confidential information.
Finally, it is observed that more and more gateways are installed between the different networks. In particular, such gateways are placed between computer networks within a company and public networks of the internet type, or even between communications networks and such public networks. Thus, it becomes practically possible to access a secondary network from a primary network via such gateways and there is a need for a user of a plurality of networks to be able to use data useful for each of said networks, whatever the chosen entry point.
Taking into account the above, a problem to be solved by the present invention relates to means for managing data in a practical and entirely secure way, in particular personal data, that are to be used within computer systems.
With respect to the above-described state of the art, a first object of the solution to the technical problem posed is a portable reader that comprises four electrical connection lines for electrical connection to a computer port, and a portion for inserting a module adapted to store confidential information, the module comprising, on the one hand, a plastic module body having a substantially parallelepipedal and rectangular shape with dimensions of the order of 25 mm in length, 15 mm in width and 0.76 mm in thickness and, on the other hand, an integrated circuit chip provided with contact terminals electrically connected to contact pads that are flush with one of the faces of said module, said portion comprising contacts that are electrically connected to the four electrical connection lines of the reader and, when the module is inserted into said reader,to the contact pads of said module.
Thus, the reader, having reduced dimensions, may be connected to an appropriate port of a computer, disconnected therefrom, and carried with its module and the confidential data it contains. The module in itself may be withdrawn from the reader and plugged into another device, for example a mobile phone where the confidential data it carries may be used.
In addition, a second object of the solution proposed by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problem is to provide a method for managing confidential data stored within a secure memory in a module, comprising, on the one hand, a plastic module body of substantially parallelepipedal and rectangular shape, the dimensions of which are about 25 mm in length, 15 mm in width and 0.76 mm in thickness and, on the other hand, an integrated circuit chip provided with contact terminals electrically connected to contact pads that are flush with one of the faces of said module, in which:
the module is inserted into insertion portion a portable reader having four electrical connection lines for electrical connection to a computer port, so that said contact pads of the module are electrically connected to contacts in said insertion portion, the contacts being electrically connected to the four electrical connection lines of the portable reader;
a user connects the reader to a port of a first computer;
data are exchanged between the integrated circuit chip in the module and the first computer;
the user disconnects the reader from the port of the first computer;
the user takes the reader with him/her;
the user connects the reader to a port of a second computer. the first and second computers are one and the same computer. In a second embodiment, the first computer is different from the second computer. On the other hand, advantageously, the data are exchanged via a USB bus system and the user withdraws the module from the reader and inserts it into a mobile phone.